1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a system and a method to automatically select and design a complete rod pumping system for the production of fluids from a downhole fluid well. In particular, the present invention is directed to a system and method to select the components of a rod pumping system that will produce the best overall system performance and for several types of surface pumping units simultaneously. Furthermore, the present invention uses artificial intelligence technology that allows it to learn from its own runs and can improve its itself by adding knowledge to a proprietary database to be used for future runs.”
2. Prior Art
In some subterranean formations, fluid, such as oil or natural gas, is under pressure and will move to the surface once an opening is provided. In many other subterranean formations, the fluid must be extracted.
Rod pumping systems are utilized to produce oil and gas and are also used for many other applications. Downhole fluid well systems include a variety of different types of equipment which must all operate together.
It is advantageous to assemble and operate various equipment that operates together efficiently. In one type of rod pumping system, for example, a reciprocating piston pump is installed downhole beneath fluid level inside of a borehole. The pump is attached to a string of rods, sometimes termed “sucker rods”, which reciprocate within a tubing and a casing.
An electric motor at surface level powered by a source of electricity typically drives cranks which are mechanically arranged to reciprocate the rod string. At or near the surface, the rod string has a section known as a polished rod which has a close fit to a stuffing box at the surface allowing the rod string to move in and out of the tubing without fluid escaping. One type of mechanical system is the well-known pump jack. Downhole in the borehole is a pump consisting of a number of valves. The motor, the assembly of rods, the surface pumping unit (pump jack), and the pump deliver fluid to the surface and must work together efficiently and without being overloaded.
Depending on the particular well and formation, the pumping equipment may operate for a few hours a day controlled by a timer or pump off controller or the pumping equipment may operate continuously 24 hours per day.
The various pieces of equipment operate within ranges and it is necessary to select equipment components that will operate within their operating ranges.
The depth of the pump in the well, the diameter of the pumping equipment, the type of motor, and the desired production all influence the optimum equipment to be employed.
In the past, it has been possible to select individual components of equipment, check the specifications to see if the individual components will operate with each other, and predict the production therefrom. This requires assembling data on equipment from various manufacturers and is time consuming.
In the more recent past, computer programs have been developed wherein individual input data on individual equipment components may be entered and thereafter predicted calculated results may be obtained on a number of items, such as predicted production rate in barrels per day and torque on the gearbox.
There remains a need to provide a system and a process that would automatically select and evaluate and recommend optimal rod pumping system design for a downhole well based on a number of preferences and on particular information on a particular well.
There remains a need to provide a system and a process that would evaluate components of a down well pumping system and compare multiple system designs against each other.
There remains a need to provide a system and a process that would evaluate chosen preferred components and attempt to suggest alternatives to improve thereon.